A hybrid drive generally includes at least one internal combustion engine, at least one electric machine, and at least one clutch between the internal combustion engine and the electric machine, as well as between the electric machine and the downstream drive train of the vehicle. As the existing drive concepts in the automobile industry regarding consumption optimization, emission reduction, and improvement of the subjective driving experience are being refined, hybrid drives are becoming more and more important. They have, in addition to the internal combustion engine, at least one additional drive source which is not operated using fossil fuels. Using an appropriate operating strategy, the advantages of the different drive sources may be made optimum use of, while compensating for their disadvantages. The combination of an internal combustion engine with electric machines as alternative drive sources is a dominant variant within the automobile industry. A series of different hybrid vehicles have already been designed for mass production or almost-mass production. The common feature of all is that, compared to vehicles driven conventionally by internal combustion engines, they consume less fuel. The consumption savings is due to the hybrid-specific options of energy recovery during braking and to the implementation of start-stop functions. In hybrid drives a distinction is made between parallel, series, and split hybrids. The common feature of all is the use of two energy accumulators, a battery and a fuel tank. Capacitors may also be considered as energy accumulators as an alternative to batteries. Another distinctive feature of hybrid drives is the performance of the electric machines. A distinction is made between mild and full hybrid variants, a so-called full hybrid being understood as a vehicle which is capable of being driven by the electric drive alone. So-called power-branching hybrid drives will not be discussed for purposes of the present invention because these drives are started differently and therefore the underlying problem of the present invention does not exist. So-called starter-generators are also conventional. However, since in such devices the electric machine is fixedly connected to the crankshaft of the vehicle, the problem of synchronization during operation does not exist.